He had this to say about his decision-making process a few weeks ago, per Adam Gorney of Rivals.com:

"The biggest thing to me was whether I'm a want or I'm a need. At Washington I'm a need and that stood out to me the most. They could use me right away if I work hard in the weight room. I could play for them right away and that's what stands out to me the most."

His trip to USC on Jan. 18 will be it for Falah as he finalizes his decision.

The four-star said the visit is crucial in his decision-making process.

"I'm going to finalize everything after my USC official visit and I'll go on from there," Falah said. "It's important. That's the final calling card for them. I want to see if it's the right fit for me and see if I fit in good there."

This could end up being one of the most important visits USC will host for the 2013 class. Falah is a talented offensive tackle recruit—ranked No. 19 at his position according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings—but even more important than his potential right now is the momentum boost keeping his commitment would bring to USC recruiting.

As of right now, the only momentum Kiffin and the Trojans have been experiencing has been negative.

It seemed like things were starting to look up after the All-American weekend when the Trojans landed the commitment of 5-star safety Leon McQuay III, but that positivity was quickly erased on Tuesday when 4-star defensive end Kylie Fitts decommitted. Any decommitment is negative for a program, but what made Fitts' look even worse was the fact that he was planning on enrolling early, but USC didn't have scholarship room for that after McQuay III committed. Thus, he decommitted.

It wasn't a good look for USC (telling a player he can't enroll early just days before he was planning to) and it's yet another negative moment for USC football this season—a season that included five regular season losses, several big-time decommitments and an embarrassing 21-7 loss to Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl, mind you.

If Falah wants to feel like he's a need, all Kiffin has to do is point to the past few months. USC cannot afford to lose another elite commitment. The Trojans need Falah to remain committed to the program, because he is indeed one of their marquee commitments.

The immediate need may not be there on the depth chart (Rivals), but once things clear out Falah could be a big-time player for USC. Despite their struggles, this is still a program with immense championship potential, and this 2013 class will be a huge part of that success.

Falah could take a redshirt right away, which would give him time to put on a bit more weight and continue to work on his technique and fundamentals. That would also create a smoother transition to the college game, and ultimately afford him more playing time in the future once the depth chart does clear out.

The immediate need on the field may not be there, but in time, USC will really need a talented player like Falah, and he could be part of a major contender.

This visit is going to be integral for the Trojans. They need to keep Falah committed.